Lightning Bolt
by Falcongod
Summary: Starfire hopes to have Robin become her "puerem amicus" A Tamaranean form of close friendship. However, she'll get struck by lightning before she gets the chance.
1. Chapter 1

**Lightning**

A Sunday afternoon on a beautiful Summer's day. Normally the sun's intense heat made it unbearable to go outside during this time of year,  
but on this particular day the cloudy skies made it cool enough for Starfire to be comfortable on the roof of Titan Tower.  
It was a beautiful day and the view from atop of the tower was splendid. Billowing clouds stretched across the sky in all of its entirety.  
Flocks of seabirds flew around, cherishing the wonderful weather. A few divebombed to the ocean to hunt, but most were dazzling onlookers by performing acrobatic loops and spins.  
Others still were content to simply glide through the air.  
Even this wonderful display could not cheer up Starfire. No matter how much she tried, her thoughts were always drawn to the same subject.  
Robin.  
She had hoped that a breath of fresh air might be able to get her mind off him, but sharing in all the joy that the birds were experiencing only worsened her pain.  
It wasn't long until she couldn't take it anymore. She got up and went to the one person who she believed would always be able to help her out.

* * *

"Friend Raven, I must speak with you about something that has the urgency." Said the alien as she rushed into Raven's room.  
Raven grunted and clenched her teeth. She was in the middle of a dangerous spell and knew that any lapse in concentration could have terrible consequences.  
Starfire, however, interpreted Raven's reaction in a different way.

"Oh! I am so very sorry Raven. I did not know that you wanted to be alone right now." Said the gloomy redhead. "I guess it can wait for later. It wasn't really all that important."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can tell that something is really bothering you. I won't be able to give you my full attention, but I'll try to listen as best as I can."

"Well, it's about Robin..."

"I guessed as much. What about him?"

"He's just been so nice to me. Ever since I first came to this humble planet, I have experienced much joy.  
I know that Robin deserves much of the acknowledgement for this, but I do not know the earth custom of thanks."  
Raven finished one saying part of the spell.  
"Get him a thank you card from the mall." After suggesting this, Raven started muttering a different incantation.

"Yes, I am familiar with the cards of Hallmark, but I do not think that is enough. Robin is like a "puerem amicus" to me. Besides I wouldn't know which card to get. There are so many."  
Raven paused between spells again to reply to Starfire.  
"Truthfully, no matter what you get him will make him happy. He'll be pleased whatever you do to him."

"But how can I be sure that he will enjoy the card I get. Oh, this would be so much easier if we were on Tamaran. I would not have to get him the card of thanks.  
I could just ask him to be my "puerem amicus". Perhaps I should do the explaining I see that you do not grasp the understanding,  
or are you at another difficult part of your spell? You see, "puerem amicus" is a form of very strong friendship. It means friends that cannot be separated.  
It is a way of thanking someone who has and will continue to make splendrous contributions to your life. On my planet they... Raven! Are you paying attention?"

"Of course I am. You may want to duck down closer to the floor."  
Said Raven nonchalantly as an opaque black fog started to fill the room.  
"What do you think I should do?"

"Why don't you just ask him to be your puerem amicus?"  
Starfire was progressively moving closer and closer to the ground while Raven stayed floating in her meditative state.  
"Our friend Robin would not understand. He'll be most confused if I did that."

"That hasn't stopped you from telling him other things many times before."  
The incredibly black fog had now engulfed much of the room and Starfire found herself lying flat on the floor.  
She had to turn her head off to the side, so that the carpet wouldn't get in her mouth when she spoke.  
"Raven, do you really think I should try that?"  
Raven couldn't even be seen through the sea of fog. When she did respond, her voice sounded muffled and distant.  
"Sorry Starfire, ... too dangerous for you ... stay ... any longer. ... Probably best ... ... time alone ... ... think about ... ... ... ... talk later."

* * *

Later that night, Starfire felt more uncertain than ever. Even flying, the greatest joy she knew, seemed empty to her. She sighed and turned back towards Titan Tower.  
Prepared to take a leap of faith.  
She knew what she should do. A hope-filled smile grew on her face as she anticipated how her conversation with Robin would go.  
Robin would surely be willing to share in her happiness. Like Raven said. Robin would be exuberant to spend more time with her.  
She had nothing to worry about.  
Starfire wasn't the only one flying through the clouds that night though. Millions of other minuscule beings were sharing in her enjoyment.  
These beings already had plenty reason to be excited that night. The music was pumping. The party lights were flashing. All of them were wildly dancing around.  
This feeling of unbridled excitement was only added to when they felt Starfire's beautifully conductive skin brushing against them.  
They started flying alongside Starfire and were attempting to persuade her to join their party.  
They dazzled her with displays of light and turned up the pounding music for her to better enjoy. Before long they could no longer control themselves.  
They realized that the only way to make sure that Starfire would join them would be inviting to dance.  
Unfortunately, millions upon millions of them came to this conclusion at the same time.  
Like an unfortunate soul being converged upon in a mosh pit, Starfire was jumped by the multitude of excited electrons in a phenomenon we like to call lightning.

With about a billion volts and a temperature hot enough to vaporize sweat into steam, the bolt was enough to kill a regular person several times over.  
Not even a Tamaranean could survive one unscathed.  
Her insides fried and skin literally on fire, Starfire plummeted toward the ocean.  
The shooting star was immediately spotted by Robin from within the Tower. He quickly gathered the rest of the titans around the window, so that they could make a wish with him.  
If Starfire hadn't been rendered unconscious by the lightning, she would have been astonished by her horrible luck.  
Only a few feet inland from the ocean and the silky sand of shore did her flaming body land.  
If she hadn't been unconscious she would have had a better chance of avoiding the island rock that nearly impaled her.

* * *

There were mixed emotions for the titans staring at the smoldering crater.  
Cyborg was interested in studying the foreign metals in the apparent meteorite.  
Fresh from a marathon of horror movies, Beastboy was terrified at the prospect of it being some sort of alien life form.  
Not only was Robin amazed that it landed so close to them, Robin was also fascinated by the opportunity to see a real meteorite up close.  
Whatever their reason, they all rushed downstairs to look at it.

* * *

"Holy crap..."

"Cyborg, go get Raven. Quick!"

"Told you it was an alien."

"Now's not the time Beastboy."

"Jokes are better than nothing. We have to wait for Raven anyways."

"No we don't. Help me carry her to the medical wing."

* * *

"She looks happy."  
Robin and Beastboy finished carrying Starfire up the hospital bed and were observing her lifeless body.  
"Stop looking at her."

"Right." Beastboy sheepishly snapped his head away.  
Starfire's clothes had been disintegrated from the blast of lightning. Of course, Robin had taken off his cape and wrapped it around her before they took her up,  
but it still didn't leave much to the imagination. There were hospital gowns in the ward, but neither of the boys were willing to dress her.  
It would be less weird for Raven to do that.

"You needed me?"  
Raven appeared at the doorway with her hood up.  
"Where's Cyborg?"  
Raven shrugged off the question and approached the injured girl.  
"He'll have nightmares for the next few days, but ultimately he'll be fine. What happened to her?"

"We have no idea. Can you heal her?"

"I'll see what I can do. Why don't you two wait outside."

* * *

Robin was startled and nearly screamed in fear when Raven abruptly entered the hallway.  
Beastboy was snoring loudly, but was soon jolted awake by Robin before Raven gave her report.  
Cyborg was babbling in a corner somewhere.

"As Cyborg would tell you if he could still talk, I was attempting a powerful spell earlier today. So I wasn't able to heal her much.  
However, by my estimate she should be able to recover by herself in due time. She'll be awake by tomorrow. Perfectly fine in about a couple of weeks.  
You know how Starfire is. Resilient, and much tougher than she looks.  
In fact, I have a feeling that this injury won't even be her biggest disappointment when she looks back on this night.  
Nothing to lose sleep over. Good night."

Still a bit groggy, Beastboy gave a big yawn and said "Yep, good night everyone."

"Wait! Raven, I need to talk to you about something."  
Raven made sure the hall was clear of all but the two of them before she addressed Robin.  
"Don't worry, I already tossed your cape down the laundry chute. I know how obsessed you are about the cleanliness of your things.  
The blood will come right out with the new detergent."

"Thanks, but that's not it. It's about Starfire..."  
Raven held up her hand for Robin to stop. "I've heard enough about that for one day. Why don't you talk to Starfire when she wakes up?  
Trust me. It'll be much better that way."

* * *

Starfire woke up to see Robin darting over to her with a tray in his hands.  
"Here you go. Breakfast in bed. How are you feeling?"

"Thank you. Umm... I guess I'm feeling pretty good. What happened?" Answered Starfire in a weak voice.

"We have no idea. You sure that you're okay? You were in pretty bad shape when we found you last night."

"I feel fine." Lied Starfire.

"Did you," Starfire shifted around to see Robin better. "Did you come looking for me?"

"More or less. Raven said you shouldn't sit up like that yet."  
Sure enough, the arms trying to prop herself up gave out and she collapsed back into her bed.  
"Why do I feel so weak?"

"Just eat your breakfast. It'll help you regain your strength."  
Robin sat down on the side of the bed and handed her a spoon.  
He ignored the loud slurping she made and was silent while Starfire ate the cereal. She was injured after all. He could correct her table manners some other time.  
"Do you want anything else? Hot soup, or ice cream, or, *gulp* sickness pudding?"

"No, no. I wouldn't want to take advantage of your kindness." Starfire turned her head away from Robin.

"Are you sure? 'Cause it would really be no trouble at all."

"Who are all these from?"  
Starfire motioned at the "get well soon" cards on the table next to her.  
"They're from all of us. We all can't wait 'till your up and about again."

Starfire could barely hear Robin's softly spoken words. She was busy looking over the various cards. One was made out of construction paper and crayons.  
_Probably Beastboy's_ she thought.  
There were marks where too much glue was used and most of the glitter seemed to have fallen off the card, but she could still tell that a lot of thought was put into it.  
The one next to it wasn't as poorly constructed.  
_It has to be Raven's.  
_ There were several good luck charms attached to it and the paper was completely blank except for the words "Get Well Soon" written on the front in impeccable cursive.  
Cyborg's, at least the one she assumed to be Cyborg's, was store bought with lots of words written on the inside.  
_Glorfnog, he must have terrible handwriting.  
_ Even from where she lay, she could tell that the sentences either crawled up or down the page.  
The whole thing was written with the penmanship of a preschooler with no thumbs.  
Looking past that and the vase of freshly picked flowers, Starfire saw Robin's card.  
Like Cyborg's, it was store bought and had paragraphs of writing on the inside. Unlike Cyborg's the writer experienced holding a pen before.  
The handwriting couldn't hold a candle to Raven's, but it was lightyears away from Cyborg's caveman sketches.

"Everyone made me a card?"

"Yep, we are all very concerned about you."

"That's so nice of everyone."

"We do what we can. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"I am most content with what you have already given me."

"Ok, I guess I'll leave you to get some rest then. But if you need anything, just let me know."  
Right before he closed the door, Starfire cried out  
"Wait! Robin..."  
The boy wonder stopped in his tracks and peeked his head back in the room.  
"Yes?" Starfire looked at the concerned expression on his face and sighed.

"Never mind. It's not that important."  
A confused look came over Robin's face, but he quickly shook it off.  
"Ok, Buh bye then."

Starfire sat up painfully in the empty room and whispered to herself.  
"I wouldn't want to take advantage of your kindness."  
Fighting off the pain in her entire body, Starfire reached out and grabbed one of the cards.

**/ / Happy Summer!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Lightning Ch.2**

"How is she?"

The question took Robin by surprise. Robin had just walked into the room, and Beastboy had already let something take his attention away from the TV. A rare occurrence. His decision to mute the volume before speaking was unprecedented.

"She doesn't look any better," Robin let Beastboy's eyes fill with anticipation while he popped open a can of soda. He sank into his spot on the couch and took a sip of his drink before fully answering Beastboy's question.

"But she put on a brave face while I was with her. What are we watching?"

Beastboy frowned and flipped through the channels a few times. He was obviously still shaken from the freak injury. He was not the attention seeking clown that usually defined him.

"The halftime show. Nothing else is on."

Robin downed the soda and crushed the can in his fist.

"Who's playing?"

"I'm guessing you don't want to talk about Starfire right now."

Robin stole a few chips from the bag Beastboy was grazing on.

"I'd rather just forget about the whole thing for awhile."

Beastboy flipped the volume back on.

"I understand. It's tough. Especially for you. You were the closest to her."

The TV screen cut away from the sports analysts to the flashing red warning of crime.

"We're already down one titan, but if you wanna stay behind. That's cool."

Robin rose slowly from the couch.

"We're down two titans. I just spoke with Raven. Despite her best efforts Cyborg's still a blubbering idiot from the spell. I have to go with you. I can't stay behind when I'm perfectly capable of fighting."

Beastboy sensed the hesitation in Robin's movement. A realization he would miss under normal circumstances, but grief had made him more attentive to his friends.

"Raven and I. We'd understand if..."

"I'm going."

And that was that.

"Besides," added Robin. "If we get lucky, we'll run into the fellow who sucker punched Star."

* * *

"Robin! Robinnnn!" Starfire's whiny voice echoed within the Tower's walls.

"Hellooo? Can anyone hear me? Heeelp! Please come here!"

The yelling made Starfire's charred throat hurt even more. However, her desperate need of medical attention made the soreness of her throat pale in comparison to the pain in the rest of her body.

"Robin! Please come quickly!"

Starfire sunk into her bed and allowed salty tears to run down her cheek. Which, considering how dehydrated she was, probably wasn't a good idea. Try as she might, she could not stop crying. The emotional strain of feeling abandoned by Robin and the rest of her friends almost matched the physical pain she was experiencing.

Her skin was burnt all over with ugly bruises where her body impacted the ground. Painful tingling sensations were felt inside of her where the electric current had ruptured many minor capillaries. There was also a papercut on her pinky finger from reading Robin's card.

On top of that, Raven's guesswork on how the inner organs of a Tamaranean functioned was pathetic at best. After a half hour of trying to figure out which organs were damaged and which we're 'supposed to look that wierd', she decided that Starfire was better off having her body repair itself naturally. Needless to say, Starfire wasn't feeling like the flowery rainbow she usually was.

She continued to wonder.

_Where is he?_

At the time, Cyborg thought it was a good idea to have the alarm not be heard in the hospital wing. He was probably right too. There's no need to shock patients with ungodly noise or freak them out with the flashing red. Of course, it might have been prudent to have some way to let the patients know that there was no one home to treat them, but Cyborg was never good with the small technicalities.

So there was nothing for Starfire to do but lay there with the dwindling hope that someone might come to help her. The meds Raven had given her must've been wearing off, for the torturous pain was intensifying. She no longer had the strength to sit up and read the get-well cards. She didn't even have the strength to turn her head and see the flowers picked for her. She just laid there, too weak to even move. All she had were her thoughts. Although usually a comforting companion, they were made sour by her predicament.

_I miss flying._

She thought grimly as a fresh set of tears trickled down her face. Everything was going so right when she was suddenly blindsided that night. It was going to be a long time before she felt comfortable flying again.

_I miss my friends._

Robin had visited earlier that day. Raven treated her and spoke with her a bit. Even Beastboy paid her a serious, though brief, visit. He didn't tell one joke of door answering. They all had visited her, but they were not her friends. They all acted differently, and she didn't like it. They didn't smile or laugh with her. All of them wore faces of stone and spoke with a solemn tone. She hated their suddenly different attitude. It confused her and made her jump to the worst conclusions. Yes, she hoped that her real friends would come talk to her.

_I miss my hair._

Her hair had always been a part of her. It made her stand out. She always took good care of her hair because it made her feel special. Now, most of it had been burnt away. Raven assured her that a simple spell will make it grow back quickly, but that didn't change how she felt right now. Starfire probably wouldn't even recognize herself if she had a mirror to look into. She felt like she was in an imposter's body, not her own. She couldn't wait to look like herself again. To be herself again. To be with her friends. She couldn't wait for things to go back to normal.

_I miss Robin._

_Why hadn't he come to me?_

_Surely he heard me. Where could he be?_

Even if there was a crime happening somewhere, it was customary for one of the Titans to stay behind and tend to the injured.

_So why hadn't Robin done that?_

Starfire understood that not everyone would be able to stay behind and comfort her. Somebody had to be off fighting crime, but why wouldn't anyone stay behind with her?

No, it must be something else.

_He must have a good reason._

_... I got it! He's probably off searching for some doctor who is used to this kind of injury and will be able to cure me faster. Yes, that must be it._

But even as Starfire's optimism was cheering her up, she heard another voice in her head. And she didn't like this voice. It was mean and vicious and reminded her of Blackfire. It kept on repeating the same old thing.

_They don't care about you anymore. Why would they? You're worthless to them now. They aren't coming back. You are now a LAQUEUS (lah-KWAY-us). A soldier who can no longer fight. They are left where they fall in battle, so that they will be remembered as the glorious warrior they were._

Worst of all, Starfire found herself listening to this voice.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lightning Ch.3**

The Titans should have known better than to go up against Slade with two members down. If it hadn't been for Raven teleporting them out of there at the last moment, they might have all been captured. However, as Raven was distracted by Beastboy's wounds and her own, she did not see Robin chase after Slade. Robin had too much pride to let Slade go free while he himself was still capable of fighting. It was this pride, this refusal to quit, that got Robin captured.

Robin stood, or rather hung, chained to the wall in Slade's chamber. The chains were wrapped impossibly tight around only his arms, and Robin's body weight would have torn them out of their sockets had Slade not provided him a small ledge to set his feet. The evil mastermind himself was looking over a tray of malignant looking weapons; deciding which one to use first.

"Is this what you did to Starfire?"

Slade picked out a twisted kife, a personal favorite of his, and said to Robin.

"That reminds me. Where was our Tamaranean friend? She seemed to have missed our little play-date."

"You know where she is." Robin spoke the words matter-of-factly

"Do I?"

If Slade was at all surprised he did not show it. He replaced the knife and picked up a welding torch. The same sort that mechanics often use.

"Of course you do. You're the one who brutally attacked her!"

"Was I?"

Something clicked in Slade's mind.

_This could be fun_.

He put back the torch and armed himself with his favorite weapon of them all. Words.

"Why yes, I do believe that I did attack her."

Slade paced back and forth in front of Robin as he spoke. Then he suddenly shot his hands into the air. He tensed his fingers and acted as if he were strangling someone.

"You heartless maniac!"

"You want to know what she said when I attacked her? The only words she could form between her cries?"

Robin strained against his confinements. The rusted chains rattled loudly but held firm. He viciously spat out the words

"I'll kill you!" repeatedly at Slade.

Slade imitated Starfire's high pitched voice and screamed.

"Help Robin! Heeeelp!"

Slade stepped back and savored Robin's resulting tantrum.

* * *

"We have to go rescue Robin!" Beastboy had been pulling on Raven's cloak and saying those words nonstop since the day Robin was captured. It was now 3 A.M. of the next day and Raven's patience had long gone past its end.

"Go away Beastboy" moaned Raven. "I'm trying to sleep." She turned over in bed and buried her face under a pillow.

"But we've gotta rescue him! He could be in trouble." Pleaded Beastboy. In his mind he was getting closer to convincing Raven. She was no longer forcibly teleporting him out of her room.

"I've told you like a million times already. We don't stand a chance against Slade by ourselves. We should wait until Starfire and Cyborg are better." Annoyed and sleep deprived, Raven hid under her blankets. Wishing for Beastboy to go away. She had no such luck.

"It might be too late by then!" Whined Beastboy. "We have to at least try. C'mon, pleeaase?"

Beastboy pulled the covers off Raven and stared at her with his puppy dog eyes. Raven sat up, but all she said was:

"In what way is getting disgusting _dog slobber _on me going to help your argument?"

* * *

"You know what I did next?" Slade didn't wait for Robin's response.

"I took her dead, lifeless body and threw it into the ocean."

Between grinded teeth, Robin replied in a low voice.

"If you were aiming for the ocean then you missed."

A quizzical look appeared beneath Slade's mask.

"How could I miss the ocean?"

Robin regathered his emotions and said in an intimidating voice. "She landed on our island. Right on our doorstep. I don't suppose you planned that, did you?"

Slade was pretty quick on his feet when it came to stuff like this. He managed to answer Robin without hesitation.

"I must have dropped her of the air or something then. I can't even begin to tell you how much planning it took to have her land perfectly like that."

Robin lifted his head and stared Slade straight in the eye.

"I. Will. Make. You. Pay."

Despite Robin's threat, Slade continued on with his game. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"How is the girl doing by the way?"

"You should know. She still has most of the injuries you gave her."

Slade turned his back to the captive. He needed more to work with. He decided to prod further.

"And what exactly is the extent of her injuries? I tell you, I was so drunk that night that I can't remember most of the things I did to her."

Robin glowered at Slade for a moment. His face then lit up with startling, not to mention incorrect, realization.

"You disgusting pervert!"

_Perhaps I've pushed this ruse a bit too far. I should change tactics._

"Are you getting angry Robin? You already said you wanted to kill me. Perhaps your apprenticeship has not failed after all. Your thirst for vengeance is so much like mine."

Robin strained against his fetters a second time. This time too, the rusty metal creaked, but it still did not give way. "I'll never be anything like you."

"If that is so, then there's no reason to continue this pointless banter." Slade leaned over his tray of weapons and grabbed the twisted knife. "Time for tonight's REAL entertainment."

Just out of Slade's earshot, sounds of intense fighting could be heard. His hideout had been infiltrated.


	4. Chapter 4

"Wait, what do you mean MAYBE? What happened? How long was I asleep?"

Cyborg had spent the past two hours trying to piece together what was going on. However, with each question he asked, the truth only became more obscured. The three Titan's were sitting at a booth in a popular breakfast cafe. Beastboy and Cyborg had scarfed down their meals long ago and they would have been forced to leave if not for Raven. She was still sipping on her tea which allowed the Titans to loiter for as long as they wanted.

"Would you let me finish?" Complained Beastboy. "I was just about to get to the good part."

"Don't bother listening to Beastboy. I've never seen a person who exaggerates as much as he does. Now, if none of you mind, I will pick up the thread of the story." Since no objections arose from her two friends, Raven cleared her throat and began.

"As Beastboy was saying, it was a little before Four A.M. and I hadn't slept a wink yet. I was trying to meditate but, Beastboy was being so annoying that I couldn't. You know how he is sometimes Cyborg."

"Mm-hmm."

Beastboy wasted no time in letting Raven know that he was offended, but she ignored him and continued telling the story.

"Anyways, I was sitting there Indian style trying to hold back my anger. But it was obvious that I couldn't. My eyebrows were furrowed, things were blowing up all around me, and my hands were clenched so tight that you would think that Beastboy's neck was being squeezed between them. Somehow, Beastboy managed to pick up that I was upset."

"Or she was trying really hard not to laugh at one of my jokes. I wasn't sure."

This comment by Beastboy drew a rather harsh "Sh!" from Cyborg which in turn inspired Beastboy to respond with something more. Raven waited until their bickering was over then continued the story unperturbed.

"Either way, he realized that I would want to be alone with my emotions. So he respectfully got up to leave my room which he had intruded upon, and that was when I finally gave in. I graciously admitted that he might have a point and..."

Beastboy snickered. "Yeah, just like when King Napolean of Ireland graciously gave the assorted colonies to George Washington after the American Revolution."

"Beastboy, will please stay quiet for just a few minutes?" Though Cyborg was eager to hear the tale, Raven was mostly apathetic about telling it. Thusly, Raven didn't bother chastising Beastboy after Cyborg did so, and instead went on with the story.

"As I was saying, we did eventually end up looking for Robin. I was using the supercomputer to search for his last known location. Beastboy, in his own words, wasn't as good at important technology as he was at video games. So instead of helping, he tried to keep me entertained with his standup comedy routine."

"How was it?"

Raven recalled the experience and shivered. "Remember when you watched that episode of 'The Wiggles meet Barney' and they only told knock knock jokes the whole time?"

Cyborg faintly remembered watching the disastrous episode. "That bad?"

"They would have seemed like Broadway performers if they followed Beastboy."

While Cyborg was trying to imagine something that terrible, Beastboy was truly hurt. He indignantly said "But I thought you liked it!" Raven shrugged off the comment.

"In spite of his performance, which I most certainly did NOT enjoy,"

"Liar," Grunmbled Beastboy.

"I did manage to find Robin. It was odd because his locator hadn't even been disabled, but I didn't think much of it then. Maybe I should have. Instead, once I found the location we left immediately. As I was exiting the Tower's doors, I could have sworn that someone was watching us..."

Beastboy slid over and nudged Cyborg. "I bet you know who that was."

Raven slammed down her teacup. "Who's telling this story?"

Beastboy let out a prolonged groan. "But you're telling it so slowly. My dead grandma could tell a story faster. Here Cyborg, let me finish it. I'll skip ahead to the important part."

Raven rolled her eyes but allowed Beastboy to takeover.

"Ok, so we were outside Slade's secret hideout, right? And Raven was all. 'How are we going to figure out the security code for this door?' And I was like 'Dudette, just sit back and watch how it's done.' So then I turned into a gorilla and just tore off the entire door. It must have been at least six feet thick and made of solid titanium."

"The door hinges were made of rusting iron, though."

Beastboy tried to play down this comment of Raven's, but could do little to keep the smile off Cyborg's face.

"So after I broke through door, I crept into the bunker while Raven was still swooning over my awesome, manly strength."

This time it was Cyborg's turn to interrupt. "C'mon man, even I don't believe that one Beastboy."

Beastboy's cheeks reddened and he decided to be a bit more humbler in his tale. "Fine, I exaggerated a bit. She was impressed though. Anyways, I was leading the way through the dark bunker with Raven cowering behind me. Ow! Okay fine, Raven wasn't afraid at all, but I know for certain that she was always a few steps behind me."

Raven spoke up in a monotonous voice. "You were walking backwards."

"And it was a good thing that I was. 'Cause all of a sudden out of nowhere. BAM! We were attacked from behind by ten robots. I knocked them back with a swipe of my tail, but it was evident that we were being ambushed. There were hundreds of them. There were robots in the in the upper level, in the lower level, on our current level. And they were all converging on me, so I had to fight them ALL BY MYSELF! I don't even know where Raven went." Beastboy paused to see if Raven had a smart comeback to this accusation, but was disheartened to find out that she did in fact have an excuse.

"I was off rescuing Robin. I put more importance on his safety than on defeating the henchmen. Perhaps my perspective would be more useful for Cyborg now..."

"Too late, I'm already talking." The two other titans groaned but could do little to stop the green child's monologue.

"I did everything I could to stop the sea of robots. I went velociraptor on them, I slithered between their attacks as a serpent, I crushed over thirty of them in my massive hippo jaws, I flew circles around them as an eagle, I trampled them as a bull, but I was discovering that there were simply too many and so, though I fought gloriously, I was eventually defeated." Beastboy inhaled deeply. He had tried to say the entire sentence in one breath and was red in the face from the attempt. Much to Cyborg's delight, Raven seized the opportunity to take over the story.

"He was captured in all of thirty seconds." Before Beastboy could object, she quickly added. "I only know because I was captured in less. Something about Robin being used as a hostage stopped me from fighting back. Slade was expecting us to send a rescue party and was ready to fight back. Beastboy's incredibly conspicuous entrance didn't do us any favors."

"You thought it was a good idea when I was doing it." mumbled Beastboy.

"Slade gave us handcuffs specifically designed to contain us and ushered us into the room where Robin was. Beastboy tried to trick the villain by shouting 'Cyborg NOW!' It might have worked, but Robin had already told Slade that you were, um, incapacitated. Slade didn't even turn his head to look. Which was just as well because only a few moments later-"

Beastboy cut in, "WHAM! Slade gets swept off his feet by a huge starbolt. BANG! Starfire fired off another huge attack. I've never seen her so angry before. It was incredible." Since it was apparent that Beastboy was about to burst a vein from excitement, Raven finished the dialogue.

"We didn't even have to do anything. She chased Slade and his army of about fifty robots out of the building. Maybe it was seeing Robin like that, maybe it was something else. But something ignited the righteous justice inside of her. Because, based on my medical analysis, she shouldn't have been able to do any if that. You saw the numbers, Cyborg. Remember those statistics I asked you to look over?"

Cyborg nodded. As soon as he woke up, Raven dropped a fat stack paperwork on him to examine. "Yeah, but those were for a regular human like Robin. Tamaraneans are something else. So what happened next. Where is she now?"

"It was all over after that. The two of them are out on a walk. I urged Starfire to rest and take some time to recuperate, but she refused."

"She kept on insisting that she could still fight just as well as before." added Beastboy.

"She kept saying that she was no 'laqueus' whatever that is. She never speaks English when you need her to."

The three Titan's nodded their heads in agreement as an awkward silence filled the air. Cyborg still wanted to know more, but it was clear that the two others were finished. The storytellers got up out of the booth.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened. Can we go now?"

Cyborg stood up and tried to keep them from leaving. He noticed that there was a crowd looking at their table. Four eager diners and several employees smiled in anticipation when the two had finally left the table. Cyborg ignored them and spoke to his friends. "Wait! What's the rush? What happened after that? Did the two get together? Tell me!"

Raven and Beastboy looked at each other. "We don't know." They admitted. "You woke up and wanted us to tell you everything that happened. So we did, but now... We kind of want to know too."

Cyborg sat back down in the booth. An exasperated sigh could be heard throughout the diner. "Oh. Well, that's good. I was only out a few days, then. I guess that means the only thing I missed was that little story?"

Raven and Beastboy's eyes met again. How were they two explain this to Cyborg? Raven sat down next to Cyborg in the booth. The busboy, workers, and diners waiting to be seated all gave up on the trio ever leaving and dispersed. "You kinda, sorta missed your birthday."

Beastboy chimed in. "We still had a party and celebrated. You just... weren't there. It almost wasn't the same eating the seven layer cake without you, but we managed. The thing is..." Beastboy pondered on how he should break the bad news to Cyborg. Raven went out and said it. "There's no leftover cake. And in a semi-related incident, the waffle iron broke."

Nothing could match Cyborg's anguish at that moment. Raven and Beastboy had to spend the rest of the day trying to comfort the big fellow. They gave up the opportunity to learn first hand how things worked out for Robin and Starfire, but that was probably for the best. Robin and Starfire would tell them if they wanted to, if not the others could probably make an accurate guess.  
Besides, they learned the responsibility of locking up a cafe by staying long past the closing hours.


	5. Chapter 5

_It's been a while since I was up this early,_ thought Robin as he walked along the coastline.  
To say it was early was a huge understatement. An early bird waking up at this time would be disappointed to find that the worm hadn't even woken up yet. But that wasn't Robin's biggest concern right now. Starfire, she was the main focus of his mind. The two kids had been leaving their footprints in the sand for two miles now. Not a word was spoken yet.

_Her skin is really scarred up,_ he thought.  
Contrary to what others might say, Robin's attraction to Starfire expanded far beyond simple looks. Still, Robin could not help but be concerned since he knew that Starfire should be in a hospital. Instead, the girl was looking for seashells at the beach. If she was in any pain, it did not show on her face.

Robin smiled, _Even after all she has been through, she's still the same joyous person on the inside. That's why she's so different.  
_Robin, observant even while deep in thought, saw a bit of shuffling on the sand. He squinted through the darkness and identified a small crab, no larger than three inches wide, sidestepping across the water's edge. He thought about pointing it out to Starfire, but decided against it.  
_She'll only be disgusted by knowing that she probably ate its mother for dinner a few days ago.  
_Robin ran past the crab. Much to his delight, Starfire followed.  
_Why hasn't she said anything yet?_ he wondered.  
Not that Robin cared. He was content to simply walk by her side. And there was no way he was going to double the list of things that could ruin the moment by opening his mouth first. So they just kept walking, letting the ocean be the only sound.

* * *

Robin stopped abruptly. There was a huge wall in front of them. It belonged to one of those private companies that loved going out of its way to be a blemish on a beautiful landscape.  
"This marks the end of our little stroll."  
Robin raised an eyebrow at Starfire's comment. There was always something on her mind when she was this blunt.  
"Oh well, I was getting tired anyways. Let's rest a bit here then head back."  
"I don't need any of the rest. I am capable of continuing the walk."  
Robin dropped onto the sand and pulled Starfire down next to him.  
"Fine, _I_ want some rest then. We don't have to be invincible all the time you know."  
He chuckled as Starfire fiddled with her fingers and turned away.

"Whatever you want, but I know that something's on your mind. Feel free to tell me as soon as you want to."  
Starfire didn't budge. Something must have really been bothering her, but Robin respected her feelings. If she didn't want to talk about, he wouldn't press the issue. He stared out to the ocean. The waves roared loudly in his ears.

_It's going to be a pretty sunrise._

There were fluffy white clouds hanging above the ocean. Not the clouds which made days depressing, but the kind that became a bright display of pink and orange when the sun hits them. Robin flinched as something thing slammed against his shoulder. He nearly jumped into a fighter's position, but relaxed when she saw that it was just Starfire. She was crying on his shoulder. Since now wasn't the time to complain about how she didn't know her own strength, he bit his tongue and put a comforting arm over her. He looked back to the ocean and saw a surfer riding a wave. Or trying to ride a wave, at least. The 'surfer' seemed to be making a sport of seeing how many waves he could miss.  
_What, is waiting for some huge twenty foot wave?_ Robin snorted, _He won't even be able ride it if it ever comes._

Robin turned to tell Starfire about the fish out of water, but saw that she was already speaking.  
"So that's what I've been wanting to ask you. Will you Robin?"  
Robin's eyes bulged behind his mask. _Crap, has she been speaking all this time? _He fidgeted around.  
"Um... Yes, of course."  
Robin nearly fell over when he heard her response. Mostly because she tackled him with a 'hug'.  
"Ooh! Thank you! Thank you! I knew that Raven was right! It was a good idea to ask you."  
Robin pulled away, but not that quickly. _What the heck is she talking about? I better just play it cool.  
_"Your welcome?"  
Starfire got up and ran across the sand, dragging Robin's arm behind her. Meanwhile, Robin struggled to get his feet up to Starfire's pace.  
"Yay! Yay! Come, it is traditional to celebrate a new puerem amicus with the eating of garlic pie and the slurping of oyster smoothies."  
Thunder crackled in the distance and the two froze.

"A storm is blowing in," noted Robin. "We better get indoors."  
"Why?" asked Starfire. "We must go prepare the puerem amicus celebration! How important is it to get into doors? Does earth's precipitation hurt humans?"  
Robin scanned around for a building they could take shelter in.  
"No, not yet. It just isn't smart to be outside during a storm. Especially during a thunderstorm. Let's take cover in that restaurant over there."  
Robin weakly added. "We could probably convince them to make some of that food you wanted while we're there."  
"Very well. We shall hold the celebration there. Let's go."  
"Good, there's no reason to take more risks than necessary."  
Starfire scoffed. "After the injuries I've been through, a little lightning doesn't scare me."

**/ / The End**


End file.
